Motorcycle Stunt Riding Facts and More

Motorcycle stunt riding is a growing sport in the United Kingdom and the United States. However, United States law prohibits “stunting” motorcycles on public roads and it can even get you in jail quickly.

If you’re buying a second-hand motorcycle, check if the bike has been stunted. Check for flat spots on the front tire which shows you that the bike has done some wheelies and also check for scratches which could have resulted from a crash. Stunting can trash engines, transmissions and the suspension, so beware unless you intend to use your bikes in the same way, as a stunt bike.

Robert Craig Knievel, Jr. is probably the most famous American motorcycle daredevil. Now considered as both an icon and a legend, he started his career as an entertainer somewhere in the late 1960s. He performed numerous motorcycle jumps which are televised in the entire country. His attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon located at Twin Falls, Idaho back in 1974 was among the most watched (it ranks number 4) event in ABC’s Wide World of Sports up until this date. He died last year, November 30 at age 69.

Bob Duffey, a professional Motorcycle Jumper was dubbed as “The Fastest Man on Two Wheels Backwards”. He’s got an ET of 11.71 seconds and a trap speed of 122 mph. The man is untouched on the dragstrip riding backwards. This record was done on a 1979 stock Kawasaki Z1R-TC, his favorite bike, at an IDBA (International Drag Bike Association) sanctioned event.

Debbie Evans – The Queen of Trials was the first woman to successfully ride in the US Trials during the late 1970s and is generally considered as the best female rider in the history of the sport.

Australian Robbie Maddison now holds the record for the “Longest Motorcycle Jump”. He broke it earlier in January this year at an exhibition event sponsored by a big hotel. He leapt 322 feet, 7 inches (98.34 meters) totally and ended up smashing the Guinness World Record of 277 feet, 6 inches (84.58 meters) set in 2005 by Trigger Gumm.

Perhaps the most widely known sport bike motorcycle stunt is the “wheelie”. It is a trick where the front wheel or wheels come off the ground and the vehicle is balanced on the rear wheel or wheels.

Other Popular Bike Stunts include the handstand (The rider does a handstand on a moving motorcycle), the Endo (a stunt which lifts the motorcycle’s rear tire off the ground while balancing the bike on the front wheel or wheels while still rolling), the Stoppie (stopping a moving motorcycle, so the rear wheel is raised in the air while the machine is balanced on the front tire and comes to a complete stop), 12 O’ Clock Wheelie (a kind of wheelie that is straight up and the rider scratches the tail of the motorcycle on the street), Circle Wheelie (wheelie while driving in a circular motion), and Combo Wheelie (a wheelie that features multiple rider maneuvers while on one wheel).

A full range of protective gear should be worn when attempting a stunt in a high powered motorcycle. Some popular brands include Alpinestars, Teknic, Icon, Sidi and Joe Rocket whilst Arai, Bell, AGV, KBC, Icon, Shoei and Suomy are some of the popular helmet brands.